bobbins



(No Model.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. ROBBINS.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

Patented Oct. 19

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(No Model.)

G ROBBINS MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

No. 592,021. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

UNHED STATES PATENT Orricn.

GEORGE ROBBINS, OF SLATE HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD- TOCHARLES M. WOOD, OF SAME PLACE.

Music-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,021, dated October19, 1897. Application filed February 1, 1897. Serial No. 621,414. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ-whom it may concern...

Be it known that I, GEORGE ROBBINS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Slate Hill, in the county of Orange and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners,of which'the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment for music-racksto receive and hold the pieces of music to be played, and meansconnected to said attachment whereby the performer may, withoutinterruption in performing the pieces, turn the leaves in eitherdirection desired.

The invention will be first fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then'partieularly referred to and pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similarreference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views,Figure l is a front elevation of my attachment with a' piece of musicheld thereon. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same with the housinginclosing the operative mechanism removed. Fig. 3 is a lower endelevation of the same. Fig. 4. is a central vertical sectional view ofthe same with the housing in position and the attachment shown connectedto the music-rack, which may be the rack of a piano, organ, ormusic-stand. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the device with the housingin place. Fig. 6' is a detailed view inedge elevation of one of thefingers which grasp the music-leaf to be turned. Fig. 7 is an enlargedview in perspective of the clamp for securing the attachment to themusic-rack or other fixed part of the piano, organ, or music-stand.

Referring to the parts by reference-letter, Ais the foundation-plate,preferably of wood, upon which the operative parts of the leafturner aresecured.

B represents the clamps, which are secured to the rear face ofthefoundation-plate.

0 represents the music-rack, or some permanent part of the music-stand,to which the attachment is held by the clamp B, and A represents asheet-metal housing secured to the rear face of the plate A to incloseand protect the operative parts of the leaf-turner.

. To the rear wall of the plate A are secured two rearwardly-projectingbrackets a and a, which furnish bearings for the outer tubular shaft D,upon the upper end of which is secured an arm d, which carries at itsouter end one of the sheet-grasping fingers d. The tubular shaft Dserves as a bearing for an inner tube 01 which carries at its upper endanother arm d, which at its outer end carries another grasping-fingercl. The inner tube 61 serves as a bearing for a rod diupon the upper endof which is secured another arm cl, carrying at its outer end anothergraspingfinger d. The three arms 61 and the three fin gers d are exactlythe same in construction except their differences in length. The outertube D, intermediate tube 01 and the rod or shaft 61 have each securedupon their lower ends pinions d which'are separated by loose Washers 01To the rear wall of the plate A is also secured a lug-plate e. Therearwardlyprojecting lugs upon each side and upon opposite sides of thecenter are perforated to pass journal-pins 6, upon which of each pinsare journaled three arms E. The lower end of each of these arms hasrack-segments c ,Whic11 mesh with the pinions d secured upon the lowerends of thetubular shafts d d and the rod or shaft The outer ends ofthese arms project over the inner bent arms of key-levers F, which arejournaled on pins f, which pass through perforated lugs which projectrearwardly from lug-plates f, which are secured to the rear face of theplate A. The forwardlyprotruding curved ends of the levers F areprovided with finger pieces or keys f ,and the keylevers are held intheir forward position by coil-springs f the opposite ends of which areconnected to the key-levers and to the rear face of the plate A.

The means for holding the piece of music to the face of the plate A is arod G, one end of which is pivoted to a sliding pin 6, which passescentrally through the upper part of the plate A and is provided upon itsinner end With a nut or washer, between which and the rear face of theplate Ais the coil-spring g to draw the rod G with yielding pressureupon the piece of music, which is held against the face of the plate bya hook 9 which is 'journaled upon a screw passing through it into thelower edge of the plate A. The inner ends of the arms (Z are cam-shaped,as clearly seen in Fig. 5, and engaged by springs a the lower ends ofwhich are secured one above the other upon the inner face of the bracket(4. The object of this arrangement is to assist in throwing the arms (Ito one side or the other after they have passed the center and retainthem with spring-pressure in either position.

The grasping-fingers cl are pivoted in the slotted ends of the arms (1,and their upper ends are pressed by springs d, which are secured uponthe upper edges of the arms d, so that either or both of thespring-fingers may be thrown up when the music-sheet is placed upon therack and lowered to the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4, one at atime, so as to bring one finger of each pair upon the opposite sides ofthe leaf.

The clamping-bracket B (shown upon an enlarged scale in Fig. 7) consistsin a U shaped member I), adapted to pass over the edge of the music-rackO, or any other fixed support, and to be secured to it by a set-screwZ), which is tapped through its rear leg. The upper portion of themember I) is slotted and perforated to receive the screw pintle Z2 whichsecures the bracket member to it. The pintle is screw-threaded at itsend to engage a screw-thread tapped in one end of the U-shaped memberZ). The object of this arrangement is to allow the plate A, to which thebracket member 5 is secured, to be adjusted at any desired angle to themusic-rack or other support to which the member Z) is secured, and whenadjusted to the position, by tightening the screw-pintle, the member Ifis clamped between the perforated lugs and held in this position.

The operation of the device is as follows: The attachment being securedin place upon the music-rack of a piano or other instrument a piece ofmusic, as seen in Fig. 1, is placed upon it, the rod G brought over thecenter of the sheet and the hook 9 turned over the end of the rod tohold it in position. The different leaves to be turned are then passedbetween the fingers cl, the performer, after having executed the piecebefore him, presses one of the keys inward, when the leaf is quicklyturned to the opposite side, and should it be necessary to repeat any ofthe parts upon the leaf turned, by pushing in the corresponding key onthe opposite side the leaf will be turned back to its original position.Each leaf may be turned in succession in either direction desired bysimply pressing in the proper key, and it requires no more time to turnthe leaf than it does to strike a note.

I have shown my invention in the best and most compact form known to meand believe that the arrangement of the shafts one within another andthe leaf-arms secured upon them is the best arrangement, but it isobvious that separate shafts for the finger-actuating arms wouldaccomplish the same result and be but an inferior modification onmyinvention, and it is also obvious that many more mechanical changesmaybe made without varying the invention in principle or scope and henceI do not desire to limit myself to the precise details shown.

Instead of making my device detachable, it maybe mounted directly on themusic-rack C, whether that rack be the rack of a piano, organ, or1nusic-stand.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a music-leaf turner the combination of the music support or plate,bearings secured to the rear thereof for the shafts and their actuatingdevices, shafts journalcd at the rear of said plate, pinions securedupon said shafts, arms secured on the upper proj ecting ends of saidshafts, the leaf-gi-as iing fingers depending from the outer ends ofsaid arms in front of the plate, the retaining-rod to hold the music onthe plate, pivoted arms having rack-segments at their inner ends toengage pinions on said shafts and their outer ends extending over theinner ends of the actuatingkey-levers, and the key-levers having theirinner ends to engage the rack-arms and having pieces passing to thefront of the plate in convenient position to be operated by theperformer.

2. The combination substantially as set forth of the plate or support,bearings secured to the rear thereof for the shafts and their actuatingdevices, a tubular shaft journaled in bearings in the rear of the plate,an intermediate tubular shaft therein and a central shaft within saidintermediate shaft, pinions secured upon the lower ends of said shafts,arms secured upon the upper protruding ends of said shafts,grasping-fingers depend ing from the outer ends of said arms, levershaving rack-arms at their inner ends to engage the pinions upon saidshafts, the leverkeys engaging said arms and having fingerpiecesprotruding to the front of the plate or support in convenient positionto be operated by the performer.

3. The combination of the plate or support, a pivoted rod to hold thepiece of music upon said support, reciprocating shafts journaled inhearings in the rear of said support pinions secured to the lower endsof said shafts, arms secured to their upper ends having their inner endscam-shaped, the leaf-grasping fin gers depending from the forward endsof said arms in front of the plate, springs bearing upon the cam ends ofsaid arms to assist in throwing them from one position to the other andretaining them in position, pivoted arms having racks upon one end toengage the pinions upon the said shafts, and key-levers to impart motionto said rack-arms for the p urpose of rotating the shafts and throwingthe grasping-fingers from one side to the other of the support,substantially as set forth.

at. The combination in a music-leaf turner of the character described ofthe support for theleaves, a spring-pressed pin passing centrallythrough the upper end of said support,

a retaining-rod pivoted in the outer end of I 5 said pin and a retainingdevice pivoted in the lower edge of said support to hold the rod withyielding pressure upon the music-sheet, substantially as shown anddescribed.

GEORGE ROBBINS.

Witnesses: v

JOHN L. WIGGINS, JOHN WIGGINS.

